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Monthly Archives: August 2016

Should be a hit single: TUNS “Mixed Messages”

26 Friday Aug 2016

Posted by Dennis Pilon in Should be a Hit Single

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Mixed Messages, Sloan, TUNS

tuns-600

Named for the Technical University of Nova Scotia, east coast supergroup TUNS have released a flawless poprock single with “Mixed Messages.”  The band is clearly more than the sum of its parts, managing to produce a sound distinct from those from whence they came e.g. Sloan, Super Friends/Flashing Lights, and the Inbreds.  A new wave guitar sound carries the opener, then some harmony vocals come in, only to kick things into higher gear with a chimey guitar and greater urgency to the vocals, then things fall away to just bass/drums and some great solo guitar work, before repeating the whole cycle again (while still clocking in at an efficient 3 minutes and 24 seconds).  The track appears on the band’s just released self-titled debut record, TUNS, an album aptly described by The Record.com as “all killer, no filler.”  If one poprock album should make your lather-rinse-repeat playlist come autumn, this is it.

https://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/02-mixed-messages.m4aMixed Messages

MusicLA_tuns_press_boywonder_px626

TUNS are touring across Canada this fall and playing a host of out-of-the-way places.  Check out the dates and their killer new record on their website and keep up with their news on Facebook.

To the beach!

21 Sunday Aug 2016

Posted by Dennis Pilon in Poprock Themepark

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A Summer Daydream Part I, Cayucas, Family of the Year, Summer Girl, Summertime, The Airplanes, The Mowgli's

beachSummer is slipping away before our very eyes. Time to reach for the beach one more time with tunes that celebrate the sand, sunscreen, and a summer love that probably won’t last much past Labour Day.

Hailing from landlocked Fayetteville, Arkansas, the Airplanes nevertheless have the summer beach vibe going on their “A Summer Daydream, Part I,” a fun mediation on summer obsession with lots of cool, odd sounding instrumental highlights.

On “A Summer Thing,” Cayucas channel an indie Beach Boys sound with a spot on early-1960s piano hook and delightfully spacey vocals that weave in and out of a musical accompaniment that varies its attack to good effect.

Ever since Mungo Jerry’s “In the Summertime” it’s a no brainer to associate summer songs with small-stringed instruments and a bit of swing but The Mowgli’s take the inspiration to new levels on their catchy single, “Summertime.” https://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/01-summertime.m4aSummertime

Finally, no one captures the melancholy of summer love quite like Family of the Year on their piano-based, harmony-drenched “Summer Girl.”

When not at the beach, The Airplanes, Cayucas, The Mowgli’s and Family of the Year are drumming up business on this internet thing.  Visit them online, see their shows, buy their music.

La Difference avec 5440

15 Monday Aug 2016

Posted by Dennis Pilon in Artist Spotlight

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5440, Baby Ran, La Difference: A History Unplugged

54-4016361When I first heard “Baby Ran” from their 1986 album 5440 (aka the green album) I was hooked.  There was something so simple and catchy about the chorus, I couldn’t get it out of my head.  Over the years, I kept buying their albums and CDs but reviewing them now I’m surprised how much of their material has always been folky and acoustic as well as jangly alt rock.  The contrast is brought together on their latest release, La Difference, subtitled A History Unplugged.  Some might complain that an ‘unplugged’ album is the last refuge of the musical scoundrel, where artists go when they have run out of ideas.  But this effort really is a creative reinvention of the band’s singles catalogue.  The most stark example is probably “Baby Ran,” which shifts from rock to country in this iteration without losing any of its hooky charm.  Both new and old version appear below for easy comparison. The whole record is strong but for me the highlights include “One Day in your Life,” “I Go Blind,” and “Casual Viewin’.”

5440 are on tour across Canada this summer.  Check out the dates and their catalogue on their website.

Spotlight single: Teenage Fanclub “I’m in Love”

12 Friday Aug 2016

Posted by Dennis Pilon in Spotlight Single

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Here, I'm in Love, Teenage Fanclub

999255Sometime between 2011 and 2015 I realized I loved Teenage Fanclub.  There was something dreamy about their melodies, their Byrdsian retro charm, the general feel-good aura that radiated from their music. Songs from Northern Britain, Manmade, Howdy! – with so many amazing albums no wonder Kurt Cobain called them his favourite band.   But just as I grasped their poprock brilliance, the albums dried up, with 2010’s Shadows the seeming end of the line.  Then last fall the band’s Facebook page announced they were working on new material and lo and behold the new record is almost here, literally entitled Here, and due out at the beginning of September.  In the meantime, check out their fabulous new single, “I’m in Love.”  The song is so in the Teenage Fanclub groove, it’s like they never left.

To support the new album, Teenage Fanclub are embarking on their first real tour in years, with a stop in Toronto, among other North American cities!  Check out the details on their website.

Red Cabin Fever

09 Tuesday Aug 2016

Posted by Dennis Pilon in Artist Spotlight

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Camp Fire, Patterns, Red Cabin, Right This Way, White Morning

Red CabinThe music biz is an increasingly DIY affair, with everyone doing the McCartney I thing, i.e. writing, playing and producing everything or nearly everything on their records.  Of course, today’s technology allows artists without a Beatlesque past to make some pretty sweet recordings.  Case in point: Red Cabin, the tidy and picturesque project of Long Island, New York’s Jonathan Foster.  Red Cabin ranges from the amplified home recording sound of his first album, Right This Way, and EP Wander in 2014, to the more complex and professional-sounding Camp Fire and White Morning, both released simultaneously in 2016.  In the middle are some key transition singles, namely “The Pull” and “Patterns.”  Linking all the changes is a keen attention to unusual vocal arrangements, amid fairly rapid shifts in musical attack – singular acoustic guitars suddenly flooded by electric instruments, or a full on band drops out to reveal just a guitar or keyboard part.

The root of my Red Cabin fever was the single “Patterns” with its eerie vocal delivery, hypnotic acoustic guitar rolls, and judicious use of electric keyboard, along with a killer chorus – a really perfect alt-pop single.  A close second was “The Pull,” a swinging ditty released in the same period that featured a stylish red barn against a deep blue sky as its cover art.  Going back in the catalogue, Right This Way’s title track and “First Things” caught my attention, as did “Another Time” from the Wander EP.

 

a0424465757_10But they did not prepare me the double blast of Red Cabin albums early in 2016.  Both Camp Fire and White Morning are stellar efforts.  Camp Fire runs a gamut of styles, with electronic keyboards, acoustic and electric guitars, and tightly arranged vocals.  “The Darkest Relief” reminds me a bit of Todd Rungdren, “I Want To” has a great soaring chorus melody line, “Secret Stories” exudes a lovely wistful quality with its acoustic guitar and arranged vocals, while “I Can’t Wait” has a more conventional poprock feel.

a1850364491_10White Morning has the ambiance of a concept album, right down to the cover art.  “Stuck” sounds a bit Weezer at times (in a good way), with a Beatles melody wash over the vocals, “All the Years” is a bit more indie poprock with great keyboards, guitar, and stronger, edgier vocals than Red Cabin typical, and “Juliet” has a nice swing with vocals that remind me of Tally Hall.  Also, don’t miss Foster’s previous band, Snowday, whose 2013 single “Prickerbush” is a catchy number, again vibing on Weezer just a little.

Today’s musical DIY also extends to management, promotion and a one-man record label.  So visit Red Cabin on Bandcamp where more of your hard-earned entertainment dollars will get into the hands of your favourite artists – or visit his Facebook page.

Around the dial: Twins, The Top Boost, Chris Staples, and Goodman

01 Monday Aug 2016

Posted by Dennis Pilon in Around the Dial

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American Soft, Cheap Shades, Chris Staples, Golden Age, Goodman, Isn't It Sad, Square America, The Top Boost, Twins, What We Want

TWINS-bandTwins were a first for me.  Their publicist sent me a blurb and link to their latest release in advance of its drop date, asking me to have a listen.  I’m glad I did.  Hailing from the bustling burb of Waterloo Iowa, Twins have a great pockrock feel, channeling a super new wave vibe on their first album, 2014’s Tomboys on Parade, particularly on “Tomboy.”  By 2016 their Kiss of Life EP had a sweet melodic 1960s pop single in “This Time.” But their new album Square America takes all these various influences and kicks it up a notch on such great songs as “Breakin’ Up” and “Take That Gurl.”

The Top Boost Turn AroundPower Pop Square turned me on to Vancouver’s The Top Boost and not long after Powerpopaholic wrote about them in glowing terms.  The hype is genuine – this band has got something special going on, combining classic mid-1960s guitars with spacey 1980s vocals.  “What if She Loves You” is a classic sounding single, with chiming guitars and great vocals.

chris-staples-ws-710A casual and inattentive listen might have you thinking that Chris Staples is just another LoFi drifter, with a few more hooks to offer.  But there is some serious genius going on in his multiple releases over the past decade.  Staples spent a number of years rocking out with bands like TwoThirtyEight and Grand Canyon before embarking on his present, more mellow solo career.  What I love about Staples’ work is the casual poetry of his arrangements.  His songs are deceptively simple in conception and execution.

ChrisStaples-GoldenAge“Relatively Permanent” from his most recent Golden Age combines a distinctive electric guitar line, acoustic guitar, haunting background vocals, and Staples own dry folky vocal delivery.  “Cindy, Diana, Janet and Wanda” from the 2015 EP Cheap Shades demonstrates Staples’ talent for imaginative lyrics that gel with his music in a way that appears completely free of artifice.  The guitar lick opening is so casually addictive, the distant harmonica so evocative, that when the lyrics come in they are surprisingly and similarly melodic.  The lyrics really are brilliant for their ordinary complexity: “How could I forget Diana, she moved here from Gary, Indiana” or “She left me for a married professor, extra credit for letting him undress her.”  “Dark Side of the Moon” from 2014’s American Soft has a lovely swinging acoustic guitar base and a sweet love sentiment.  “Cincinnatti” from his 2011 EP Faces sees Staples shifting from a great swinging electric guitar line to lyrics that match the swing.  And there is much more discover this Pensacola, Florida native on sites like Bandcamp.

375458091-1Michael Goodman, who goes by just Goodman on his recordings, is one of those amazingly talented young men.  Bandcamp features some pretty impressive and catchy demos from the 13-year-old version of Goodman, talent that only blossomed in later years.  Things really start to come together on Goodman’s 2012’s release, What We Want, with the infectious single “Night Person” and the great title track.  2014’s Isn’t it Sad has many highlights but “Blue Eyed Girl” stands out for its killer chorus.  Since then there has been a succession of quality singles like 2015’s “Telegram Girl” and 2016’s “Shallow.”  Goodman has all the poprock chops, a solid foundation in 1950s and 1960s song structures, but funneled through late twentieth century sensibility.

Twins, The Top Boost, Chris Staples and Goodman exist in this digital world of MP3s but also have a real corporeal existence – and that requires dollars on the barrelhead, or whatever passes for currency in your neck of the world.  Pay them a visit, pay them some cash …

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  • Around the dial: Nuevos Hobbies, The Lodger, The Stan Laurels, and Mason Summit
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